Mister Teacher (and others) asked. You should know, I'm alive. Lots of stuff has eaten my will to blog. Facebook is a big factor (yeah, I know, it really didn't hurt when I made like a lemming and went off the cliff...) but I've also just been framing thoughts differently in my head. I've been semi working on a possible stand up routine, reading books, the dog ate my weblog. Just haven't felt it.
Tell you what, I'll try to think toward blogging. Don't know how soon, but I'll try.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Ice Melting
We're in the teacher's parking lot after school yesterday and the ice has been falling since about 10am. We already know there's no school the next day and so we're toting extra work to our cars and wanting to get home as soon as we can.
There are times that I just unashamedly love my job and my co workers and this moment was one. Two or three of the men are walking around with their big scrapers, helping the ladies get their cars clean and a couple of us who happened to have de-icer handy shuffled around spraying it on other cars. Everyone's mood was light while concerned that everyone will arrive safely at home.
It might be a strange thing to find so much grace in such a small thing, but I slid home last night a bit warmer than I would have been.
There are times that I just unashamedly love my job and my co workers and this moment was one. Two or three of the men are walking around with their big scrapers, helping the ladies get their cars clean and a couple of us who happened to have de-icer handy shuffled around spraying it on other cars. Everyone's mood was light while concerned that everyone will arrive safely at home.
It might be a strange thing to find so much grace in such a small thing, but I slid home last night a bit warmer than I would have been.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Relief For My Backed Up Craw
I once again need to get something out of my craw. It's large and has been annoying me for some time. I'll begin by describing one representative situation and then working into a meta conversation.
Our semester began on January 6th. On that day, I met a whole new group of students for the first time. January 9th was Pumpkin's last day of class until the end of February. She is leaving to have her baby. The next morning, I have an email in my box asking me to prepare work for Pumpkin. Now, they don't want this work all at once, but I am being asked to prepare work for her for ALL SEVEN WEEKS OF HER ABSENCE.
Are. You. Serious?
I asked a few people if I really was hearing correctly. I asked her asst principal and her counselor if I was really supposed to supply this child with a textbook and page numbers and expect that those assignments would be equivilant to actually attending class. Their reaction was baffling.
"Yeah, just give her the work." Like the entire experience of life in my classroom can be boiled down to a worksheet.
This struggle affixed to my craw and festered. I took my plight to our next Principal's advisory committee meeting and the story was met with similar outrage by the other teachers in attendance. My head principal got it also. Oddly, the counselor just sat there slackjawed, completely failing to see the problem here.
Here in the Great State of Oklahoma, the class of 2012 must pass four of seven End of Instruction exams in order to graduate high school. Schools must jump through their buttholes to document that Pumpkin and those like her are given every bit of instruction and every possible chance to succeed. However (and I discovered this after a long hard read of State law regarding education), we have no State attendance requirements. So, Oklahoma, what you're saying is that I could be sued for failing to educate a child who never bothered to show up in my classroom? Really???
My first steps to relieve my pain over this sitation is to finally answer the emails from the counseling office. I assembled work for Pumpkin with the following note...
...and for the larger problem, I am on this, friends. I am all up in this situation. I'm making plans to speak with State legislators about this. My first approach will to listen, a sort of a "help me understand" approach. In fact, is there any insight you have to this situation? After that, we start talking legislation. Ms Educat is going to the Capitol.
Thank you, and watch your step as you walk away. All that stuff from my craw is lying around on the floor.
Our semester began on January 6th. On that day, I met a whole new group of students for the first time. January 9th was Pumpkin's last day of class until the end of February. She is leaving to have her baby. The next morning, I have an email in my box asking me to prepare work for Pumpkin. Now, they don't want this work all at once, but I am being asked to prepare work for her for ALL SEVEN WEEKS OF HER ABSENCE.
Are. You. Serious?
I asked a few people if I really was hearing correctly. I asked her asst principal and her counselor if I was really supposed to supply this child with a textbook and page numbers and expect that those assignments would be equivilant to actually attending class. Their reaction was baffling.
"Yeah, just give her the work." Like the entire experience of life in my classroom can be boiled down to a worksheet.
This struggle affixed to my craw and festered. I took my plight to our next Principal's advisory committee meeting and the story was met with similar outrage by the other teachers in attendance. My head principal got it also. Oddly, the counselor just sat there slackjawed, completely failing to see the problem here.
Here in the Great State of Oklahoma, the class of 2012 must pass four of seven End of Instruction exams in order to graduate high school. Schools must jump through their buttholes to document that Pumpkin and those like her are given every bit of instruction and every possible chance to succeed. However (and I discovered this after a long hard read of State law regarding education), we have no State attendance requirements. So, Oklahoma, what you're saying is that I could be sued for failing to educate a child who never bothered to show up in my classroom? Really???
My first steps to relieve my pain over this sitation is to finally answer the emails from the counseling office. I assembled work for Pumpkin with the following note...
Attached is another couple of week’s worth of work for Pumpkin. I apologize
for the wait, but it is impossible to prepare English II as a correspondence
course. The work attached is not an equivalent for the work done in class,
despite my real and honest effort to give your student an equivalent
experience. Please be aware that I am unsure if Pumpkin will be prepared
for her End of Instruction exam by simply completing bookwork.
Also, I am happy to schedule a time for your student to make up
the test over the three stories she was previously assigned. I will cover
details of the stories as well as the literary elements of plot, mood, and
conflict.
Completion of this work will bring Pumpkin relatively up to date
and I will start working now on the next batch of work. Thank you for
understanding my difficult position, I am concerned that the textbook simply
can’t provide all the learning we’ve done in class.
luv and hearts--
Ms Educat
...and for the larger problem, I am on this, friends. I am all up in this situation. I'm making plans to speak with State legislators about this. My first approach will to listen, a sort of a "help me understand" approach. In fact, is there any insight you have to this situation? After that, we start talking legislation. Ms Educat is going to the Capitol.
Thank you, and watch your step as you walk away. All that stuff from my craw is lying around on the floor.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
A Waste Of Tea, But A Huge Relief
Got back yesterday from our school's annual leadership retreat. We took 55 great kids and spent about two days talking about being the best we could be and turning our school around.
What did I get from this? Besides strengthening relationships with some students, I learned the latest in goofy teen boy tricks.
I walked into the room to meet with my small group Saturday morning just in time to hear one of them announce,
Don't comment here asking me what that is. You're on a computer, so you'll have to look it up yourself. If it's enough for you to know that it's a sex act, then now you know that.
I'm standing there frozen and a bit torn about what to do. Should I trust that the conversation will end soon? Just move on with our agenda? Anything else will let on that I know what they're talking about...
Oh sweet crap. I hate this...
...and the kid produces two tea bags from his backpack. Evidently, the fad is to actually place wet teabags on unsuspecting friends.
Whatever you kids are calling it these days.
What did I get from this? Besides strengthening relationships with some students, I learned the latest in goofy teen boy tricks.
I walked into the room to meet with my small group Saturday morning just in time to hear one of them announce,
"Dude, I'm so mad at that one kid. He totally teabagged me last night"
Don't comment here asking me what that is. You're on a computer, so you'll have to look it up yourself. If it's enough for you to know that it's a sex act, then now you know that.
I'm standing there frozen and a bit torn about what to do. Should I trust that the conversation will end soon? Just move on with our agenda? Anything else will let on that I know what they're talking about...
"Yeah, we totally got this other kid and he didn't even know. He was asleep!"
Oh sweet crap. I hate this...
"I'm gonna get him back though. I got these this morning"
...and the kid produces two tea bags from his backpack. Evidently, the fad is to actually place wet teabags on unsuspecting friends.
Whatever you kids are calling it these days.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Pretend Like You Won And I'll Drop Balloons!!
By admitting that it's taken five years to get this many hits, I will appear far less cool and much more obscure but I've never been one of the popala girls so whatever.
Sometime this week (tomorrow, I'd guess), Ramblin Educat will turn over 100,000 hits.
I'm celebrating this milestone by rolling out a bunch of new crap. I'll have my twitter account linked (because seriously, I rock at under 140 characters) and will perhaps begin a discussion of why I am avoiding facebook. The conversation promises to probe deep into my bitter and nasty psyche. You'll want to stay tuned.
Sometime this week (tomorrow, I'd guess), Ramblin Educat will turn over 100,000 hits.
I'm celebrating this milestone by rolling out a bunch of new crap. I'll have my twitter account linked (because seriously, I rock at under 140 characters) and will perhaps begin a discussion of why I am avoiding facebook. The conversation promises to probe deep into my bitter and nasty psyche. You'll want to stay tuned.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
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